Sparring
by Lady of the Storm
Summary: Because even Yuuki and Zero have to practice their swordsmanship.


Despite how many have portrayed her passive nature, Yuuki Cross was quite a fighter. Not meaning the metaphorical one – although, she was, but that was beside the point right now – but the physical one. Regardless of her love for any vampires, Yuuki, as a school guardian, was primarily trained in the art of fighting said creatures. And although she hoped she would never have to, Yuuki knew how to kill a vampire. That is why Yuuki fought with the Artemis Rod. Unlike a gun, the rod always leaves a chance for both parties to survive. She preferred that option over the finality of firearm, but she still knew how to use both weapons. Otherwise, Zero would have never handed her a pistol as a promise to end his life if ever need be. That weapon was safely kept in her bedroom drawer. The rod stayed on her person at all times. Yuuki's partner, first and foremost, was always the Artemis.

Zero Kiryuu, on the other hand, liked guns. It was either due to his hunter training or simply because he did not possess Yuuki's forgiving nature, but whenever Zero pulled out the Bloody Rose he was resigned to kill the vampire that had made him do so. Zero accepted that he would have to be a murderer of sorts – if you could truly call killing Level E's murder and not simply mercy kill – and he took his precautions. He wasn't going to fend off a vampire; he would kill it. Through and through.

But Zero still knew how to use a blade. It was inevitable, for his father had primarily used a sword during his hunts. And what father had passed on to son. Not that Zero was complaining. Swords were fine as a supplement when he didn't have his gun. Better be safe than sorry.

And sorry he did feel because when Yuuki found out about his combat abilities she immediately dubbed him her sparring partner.

"No," he said coldly after having stepped out of his room to find Yuuki dressed in sweats and earnestly holding her Artemis Rod.

"Oh, _come on_!" she whined, "Zero, I have to practice. I'll get rusty!"

"No," he repeated in the same tone and made his way down the hallway. She followed him, persistent as always.

"Zero! I need a _live _opponent! Kata has its limits, you know!"

"Go practice on the Night Class, then."

Yuuki frowned. "That's not funny."

"I meant Takuma Ichijo," Zero clarified, although his previous comment did suffice his dark humor, "I'm sure he'll be thrilled to spar with you."

"Ugh." Yuuki sniffed. She liked Takuma fine, and his swordsmanship was up to par, but she couldn't imagine fighting with him. Besides, what would Kaname say if he saw them? "I'd rather do it with you, Zero. Guardian to guardian, you know?"

"No."

"Pleeeaase?" she stretched the vowels out as long as she had breath. "I'll let you have the shower first tonight."

"Not good enough."

"Fine, all week! And I'll cook you that ramen you always like for dinner."

Zero was sorely tempted, but he knew Yuuki. He could squeeze more out of her. "No."

"Fine!" she threw her hands up and the Artemis came dangerously close to conking Zero. "I'll do my homework. I'll do _all _of my homework."

Zero raised his eyebrows ever so slightly. "All week?"

"Yes! All week!"

He would hold her to that – that, and all the other promises. Yuuki's grades barely sufficed, and with the upcoming calculus exam, she could very well lose her prefect position. Chairmen Cross couldn't favor her that much and he did care about his daughter's education. It was for her own good. That, and Zero did enjoy occasional hot shower water and ramen.

"All right," he consented.

***

They met in the back woods, away from prying eyes and curious questions. It was without a doubt that everyone, Day and Night class included, would enjoy watching a bout between the two school prefects because there was something just so entertaining about the idea of Yuuki Cross physically fighting Zero Kiryuu. And so, both Yuuki and Zero decided to hold their sparring matches where they could not be seen.

The stood ten meters away from each other, Yuuki with her rod and Zero with a blunted sword. She, with a determined expression. He, somewhere between bored and irritated. They stared each other down in the same Mexican-standoff manner that Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach once perfected. And then, she charged.

Spars with Yuuki usually consisted of short, intense fights in which she would strike with her perfectly rectified movements and Zero would fend against with a more improvised form. She would attack, he would defend, and then they would switch. Attack, defend, switch. It was an easy tempo to fall into. Attack, defend, switch. And even though many would think so, Zero never went easy on Yuuki. Never. When he fought her, he fought her with everything that he had, just as she did. This was why after three sets and seventeen very strenuous minutes, the two lay spread eagled on the grass and out of air.

"Match," Yuuki declared as she breathed heavily. Zero grunted in agreement. His heart was hammering in his chest; fighting Yuuki was _hard. _He wished there would never be a day when he would have to fight her without a gun, because he probably wouldn't win. Probably.

"Come on," he said, sitting up, "It's time for dinner." Yuuki followed the suit, encouraged by the prospect of food. During her movement, Artemis shifted as well and came in contact with Zero's bare arm.

"Ngh!" He yanked his arm back as fast as he could, but the pain still shot up to his shoulder. "Zero!" Yuuki cried out, horrified. She never touched him with her rod. Never. Zero was a vampire, after all, and it would bring him pain. She was always careful to restrain herself during their matches - Artemis was more powerful than it looked.

"I'm fine," he grunted. The pain had settled down to an ache, one he could easily ignore. But Yuuki wasn't as easy.

"I'm sorry," she cried, clutching onto his arm, "I didn't mean to –"

"I'm fine," Zero repeated, "It was an accident. It barely grazed me, Yuuki." He gently extracted himself from her grasp. Yuuki let him go, but she still looked guilty.

"I'm sorry," she said again, "Does it hurt badly?"

"Hardly, Yuuki."

"Are you sure? You don't need blood, do you?"

Zero rolled his eyes. The girl was exasperating in her generosity. "If you gave me blood for every time you punched my arm, you'd have nothing left," he informed her dryly. It was another dark humor joke and Yuuki frowned a second time. "That's not funny, Zero."

That's dark humor for you. Not Funny.

He stood up, ready to run from the girl who was so willing to bleed for him. But he instead offered her his hand, which she accepted. Yuuki held onto it as the two made their way back to their home in the twilight. Zero oddly didn't protest, because it just seemed comfortable to hold hands with her.

"Zero," Yuuki ventured again, "If you need to feed, you know you can always come to me."

"I don't, Yuuki."

"If you ever have to. You know."

Zero slipped his hand out of Yuuki's when he turned to face her. "I don't, Yuuki," he said deliberately, "intend to use you as a meal ticket. I'm not so needy that I have to attach myself onto you like a leech -"attempt number three at still Not Funny "- I'll live. One way or another."

Yuuki frowned yet again, though it wasn't at his sick joke. She instead answered to a message that he hadn't said aloud. "I'm not doing this because I feel sorry for you, Zero." The inner meaning behind those words was immense and terrifying and too complex for Zero to try to analyze. He let it go and settled for a compromise.

"You owe me dinner," he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets, lest she take them and drag him away into a dark corner to perform a sin, "Let's settle with that for tonight, okay?"

She looked ready to argue. She didn't. "Okay."

"I'll help you with your calculus after that."

She nodded halfheartedly. "Okay."

They parted without words. Zero off to take his first hot shower of the year, Yuuki to the kitchen to prepare their meals. It was the best damn ramen she ever made.

* * *

A.N: Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach were in the film _The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. _Feel free to visit YouTube to witness the infamous standoff scene.


End file.
